Most Thai SMEs run on two chat layers: LINE for speed with customers, suppliers, and informal staff pings—and Microsoft Teams for company mail, meetings, and files they already pay for in Microsoft 365. The mistake is not using LINE; it is never deciding what belongs where, so approvals, budgets, and project files disappear into personal chat threads when someone resigns.
This guide draws a practical boundary for 30–200 person firms in Thailand. It is not a mandate to delete LINE—it is a way to get ROI from M365 without fighting how people already work.
The two-layer model
| Layer | Tool | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| External / fast | LINE (OA, groups, 1:1) | Customer updates, vendor coordination, quick "ok" replies |
| Internal / durable | Microsoft Teams | Staff decisions, file versions, meetings, onboarding history |
Think of LINE as the foyer—friendly, fast, high traffic. Teams is the office—where work is filed, searchable, and owned by the company account.
What stays on LINE
- Customer care threads where clients expect LINE (retail, clinics, agencies, logistics updates).
- Same-day vendor pings ("driver arriving", "invoice attached") when speed beats archive value.
- Owner-to-staff nudges that do not need a permanent record—*if* your culture already accepts that risk.
Use a LINE Official Account where possible so brand identity is not tied to one employee's personal QR code.
What moves to Teams (even if LINE feels easier)
| Work pattern | Why Teams wins |
|---|---|
| Budget, pricing, or contract approvals | Audit trail, retention, handover when finance staff change |
| Project files and revisions | SharePoint libraries behind channels—not photo dumps in chat |
| Cross-department decisions | Searchable channel history vs scrolling a mixed LINE group |
| Meetings with recordings | Calendar + lobby + policy; see Teams channels & meetings |
| New hire onboarding | Standard channels ("How we work", IT help) survive staff churn |
A simple rule staff can remember
Ask one question before posting:
"Would we need this conversation if the person who sent it left next month?"
- Yes → Teams channel (or mail for formal external comms).
- No → LINE is fine.
Publish that sentence in your internal wiki and repeat in onboarding.
Setting up Teams so people actually use it
LINE wins on habit. Teams wins when friction drops:
1. One team per durable function—Sales ops, Factory QA, Agency clients—not a new team per lunch order.
2. Pin an Announcements channel for leadership; keep General for day-to-day.
3. Attach SharePoint folders to channels so "send me the file" happens in-tab.
4. Schedule recurring meetings in Outlook/Teams so links are not retyped in LINE every week.
5. Name an internal champion (often HR or ops) who answers "where do I post this?" for 60 days.
See Teams overview for governance basics and SharePoint overview for where files should live long term.
LINE groups that became unmanageable
Common Thai SME pattern: one "Company all staff" LINE group mixing memes, urgent fixes, and customer leaks. Split intentionally:
| Old habit | Replacement |
|---|---|
| File photos in LINE | Upload to SharePoint; paste Teams link |
| "Meeting at 3?" | Outlook calendar invite + Teams link |
| Client thread mixed with internal debate | Client LINE OA + internal Teams channel named for that account |
| Owner approves via LINE sticker/reply | Teams channel or Power Automate approval card |
You do not need every workflow automated on day one—move the approval text first; automate later with Power Automate intro.
When staff leave
LINE threads on personal accounts are not company property. Teams channels, SharePoint files, and Exchange mailboxes can be retained and reassigned under admin policy.
Before someone exits:
- Transfer SharePoint site ownership and Teams team ownership.
- Export or convert critical shared mailboxes.
- Remind the team: client LINE relationships may need OA handover, not just a phone SIM change.
Pair this with a quarterly license audit so you are not paying for accounts that already left.
Measuring success (30-day pilot)
Pick one department (e.g. sales ops or a single factory shift). For 30 days:
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Project files sent only in LINE | Down materially |
| Decisions on pricing/schedule in Teams channels | Up week over week |
| Repeat questions ("where is the file?") | Down in LINE noise |
If Teams stays empty, the problem is usually structure, not tooling—add channels and training before buying more licenses.
Licensing reminder
Teams is already bundled with most business Microsoft 365 mail plans. The cost of not using it is duplicate tools and lost files—not an extra LINE-style subscription. If you are unsure which plan includes Teams for your tenant, compare SKUs on M365 Deals or ask for a rollout scope via contact.
One-page policy you can paste today
- External customers & vendors → LINE (Official Account where possible).
- Internal decisions, files, meetings → Microsoft Teams + SharePoint.
- If it must survive staff turnover → never LINE-only.
Review the policy with leadership once, then enforce gently through champions—not by banning LINE outright.
